Logic cell structure and integrated circuit with the logic cell structure

Abstract

A logic cell structure includes a first portion, a second portion and a third portion. The first portion, arranged to be a first layout of a first semiconductor element, is placed in a first cell row of a substrate area extending in a first direction. The second portion, arranged to be a second layout of a second semiconductor element, is placed in a second cell row of the substrate area. The third portion is arranged to be a third layout of an interconnecting path used for coupling the first semiconductor element and the second semiconductor element. The first, second and third portions are bounded by a bounding box with a height in a second direction and a width in the first direction. Respective centers of the first portion and the second portion are arranged in a third direction different from each of the first direction and the second direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A logic cell structure embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the logic cell structure comprising:
 a first portion arranged to be a first layout of a first semiconductor element, the first semiconductor element being arranged to perform a first logical function, wherein the logic cell structure is formed on a substrate area; as viewed from a top of the substrate area, the first portion is placed in a first cell row of the substrate area, the first cell row extends in a first direction, and the first portion has a first height in a second direction vertical to the first direction; 
 a second portion arranged to be a second layout of a second semiconductor element, the second semiconductor element being arranged to perform a second logical function identical to the first logical function, wherein as viewed from the top of the substrate area, the second portion is placed in a second cell row of the substrate area and has the first height in the second direction; and 
 a third portion, arranged to be a third layout of an interconnecting path used for coupling the first semiconductor element and the second semiconductor element, wherein as viewed from the top of the substrate area, the third portion is placed within the substrate area, the first portion placed in the first cell row and the second portion placed in the second cell row are separated by a third cell row located between and arranged in parallel to the first cell row and the second cell row, and are interconnected by a part of the third portion placed in the third cell row, and the first portion, the second portion and the third portion are bounded by a bounding box with a height in the second direction and a width in the first direction; a center of the first portion and a center of the second portion are arranged in a third direction different from each of the first direction and the second direction; the third portion is arranged to couple an input node of the first portion to an input node of the second portion, and couple an output node of the first portion to an output node of the second portion. 
 
     
     
       2. The logic cell structure of  claim 1 , wherein the third direction is a diagonal direction of the bounding box. 
     
     
       3. The logic cell structure of  claim 1 , wherein the third portion has a second height in the second direction, and the second height is different from the first height. 
     
     
       4. The logic cell structure of  claim 1 , wherein the third portion has the first height in the second direction. 
     
     
       5. The logic cell structure of  claim 1 , wherein an operating speed of a transistor included in the first semiconductor element formed according to the first portion is equal to an operating speed of a transistor included in the second semiconductor element formed according to the second portion. 
     
     
       6. The logic cell structure of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are located at opposite sides of the third portion in the second direction; the height of the bounding box is equal to or greater than a total of the first height of the first portion, the first height of the second portion, and a distance between the first portion and the second portion in the second direction. 
     
     
       7. The logic cell structure of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are located at opposite sides of the third portion in the second direction; the width of the bounding box is equal to or greater than a total of a first width of the first portion, a second width of the second portion, and a distance between the first portion and the second portion in the first direction. 
     
     
       8. An integrated circuit, comprising:
 a substrate area, comprising:
 a plurality of first-type doped rows, wherein as viewed from a top of the substrate area, each of the first-type doped rows extends in a first direction, and has a first height in a second direction vertical to the first direction; and 
 a plurality of second-type doped rows, interleaved with the first-type doped rows, wherein as viewed from the top of the substrate area, each of the second-type doped rows extends in the first direction, and has a second height in the second direction; 
 
 a first logic cell, formed on the substrate area, the first logic cell comprising:
 a first portion, a second portion and a third portion, wherein as viewed from the top of the substrate area, the first portion has the first height in the second direction and placed in one of the first-type doped rows, the second portion is placed in one of the second-type doped rows disposed at one side of the one of the first-type doped rows, and the third portion is placed in another of the second-type doped rows disposed at another side of the one of the first-type doped rows; and 
 
 a second logic cell, wherein as viewed from the top of the substrate area, at least a portion of the second logic cell is placed in one of the one of the first-type rows and the one of the second-type doped rows. 
 
     
     
       9. The integrated circuit of  claim 8 , wherein another portion of the second logic cell is placed in the other of the one of the first-type rows and the one of the second-type doped rows. 
     
     
       10. The integrated circuit of  claim 8 , wherein another portion of the second logic cell is placed in another of the first-type doped rows. 
     
     
       11. The integrated circuit of  claim 8 , wherein the second height is different from the first height. 
     
     
       12. The integrated circuit of  claim 8 , wherein the second height is equal to the first height. 
     
     
       13. The integrated circuit of  claim 8 , wherein a center of the first portion and a center of the second portion are arranged in a third direction different from each of the first direction and the second direction. 
     
     
       14. The integrated circuit of  claim 8 , wherein as viewed from the top of the substrate area, the portion of the second logic cell is overlapped with one of the first portion and the second portion. 
     
     
       15. An integrated circuit, comprising:
 a substrate area, comprising: 
 a plurality of first-type doped rows, wherein as viewed from a top of the substrate area, each of the first-type doped rows extends in a first direction, and has a first height in a second direction vertical to the first direction; and 
 a plurality of second-type doped rows, interleaved with the first-type doped rows, wherein as viewed from the top of the substrate area, each of the second-type doped rows extends in the first direction, and has a second height in the second direction; and 
 a logic cell, formed on the substrate area, the logic cell comprising:
 a first portion, a second portion and a third portion, wherein as viewed from the top of the substrate area, each of the first portion and the second portion has the first height in the second direction, the first portion is placed in one of the first-type doped rows, the second portion is placed in another of the first-type doped rows, and the third portion is overlapped with two of the second-type doped rows, disposed at opposite sides of the one of the first-type doped rows respectively. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The integrated circuit of  claim 15 , wherein the third portion is further overlapped with the one of the first-type doped rows. 
     
     
       17. The integrated circuit of  claim 15 , wherein the third portion is further overlapped with the another of the first-type doped rows. 
     
     
       18. The integrated circuit of  claim 15 , wherein a center of the first portion and a center of the second portion are arranged in a third direction different from each of the first direction and the second direction. 
     
     
       19. The integrated circuit of  claim 15 , wherein the second height is different from the first height. 
     
     
       20. The integrated circuit of  claim 15 , wherein the second height is equal to the first height.